Aerosol dispenser for dispensing a multicomponent product

ABSTRACT

AN AEROSOL DISPENSER OF THE TYPE IN WHICH THE PROPELLANT AND A PLURALITY OF COMPONENTS OF THE PRODUCT TO BE DISPENSED ARE KEPT SEPARATE UNTIL DISPENSED. THE DISPENSER HAS AN OUTER CONTAINER WITH A VALVE MEANS ON SAID OUTER CONTAINER. A PROPELLANT CARTRIDGE IS PROVIDED IN SAID OUTER CONTAINER AND IS COUPLED TO SAID VALVE MEANS. AT LEAST ONE FLUID TIGHT FLEXIBLE SAC IS PROVIDED IN SAID OUTER CONTAINER AND CONTAINS ONE COMPONENT OF THE PRODUCT TO BE DISPENSED IN A FLUID CONDITION. A SECOND COMPONENT CAN BE CONTAINED IN EITHER THE OUTER CONTAINER OR A SECOND FLEXIBLE SAC. MEANS IS PROVIDED COUPLING SAID OUTER CONTAINER AND SAC OR SACS TO SAID VALVE MEANS FOR ASPIRATING THE COMPONENTS WHEN THE VALVE MEANS IS OPENED TO ALLOW PROPELLANT TO FLOW FROM SAID PROPELLANT CARTRIDGE.

J. MARAND sept. 21, 1971 AEROSOL DISPENSER FOR DISPENSING AMULTICOMPONENT PRODUCT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 5, 1969 FK-ilvINVENTOR JEAN MARANO ATTORNEYS Sept 21, 1971 J. MARANp 3,606,963

AEROSOL DISPENSER FOR DISPENSING A MULTICOMPONENT PRODUCT Filed July s,1969 s Sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR JEAN MARANO f /7 BY mmdz/Mf/W ATTORNEYS'Sept.v 21, 1971 J. MA'RAND I 3,606,953

AEROSOL DISPENSER FOR DISPENSING A MULTICOMPONENT PRODUCT Filed July 3,1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INV ENTOR JEAN MARANO ATTORNEYS United StatesPatent O U.s. ci. 222-132 14 claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE An aerosoldispenser of the type in which the propellant and a plurality ofcomponents of the product to be dispensed are kept separate untildispensed. The dispenser has an outer container with a valve means onsaid outer container. A propellant cartridge is provided in said outercontainer and is coupled to said Valve means. At least one fluid tightdiexible sac is provided in said outer container and contains onecomponent of the product to be dispensed in a fluid condition. A secondcomponent can be contained in either the outer container or a secondflexible sac. Means is provided coupling said outer container and sac orsacs to said valve means for aspirating the components when the valvemeans is opened to allow propellant to flow from said propellantcartridge.

This invention relates to an improved aerosol dispenser for spraying amulticomponent fluid product, generally liquid, by aspirating it with aliquefied gas propellant which is released in the gas phase as a valvemeans is actuated by the user of the aerosol dispenser.

More specifically, this invention relates to an aerosol dispenser of thetype in which the components of the material to be sprayed are held indifferent parts of a product container, and a separate cartridge isprovided within the product container for holding the propellant,generally consisting of a gas liquefied under pressure, so that thecomponents of the material are kept separate from each other and fromthe propellant in the dispenser.

Such aerosol dispensers differ from those having only a single containerwith a single liquid therein, which is a mixture of the liquid to besprayed and the propellant, which is partly in a gas phase above theliquid. Such dispensers require a rigid and strong container to hold theliquid and gas phases under pressure.

In addition, aerosol dispensers are known in which the product to besprayed is a liquid contained in a flexible and collapsible bladder-likesac. This sac is housed in a strong, rigid container holding thepropellant under pressure in such a way that the propellant exertscompression on the sac, yet it is not placed in direct contact with theliquid to be sprayed, which is desirable in many instances. Indispensers such as these, the pressure of the gas around the flexiblesac tends to compress the latter and to expel the liquid it contains assoon as a valve in the rigid container is opened. Thus, the sac isemptied by pressure of the gas around it.

The invention in the present case relates to dispensers where thecomponents of the product to be sprayed and the propellant are all keptseparate from each other and in which at least one flexible sac is usedfor storage of one component of the product to be sprayed.

According to the invention, the aerosol dispenser includes an outercontainer having a valve means thereon and inside of which container are(a) a cartridge containing a propellant under pressure, (b) at least onetight flexible sac having means placing the interior of the sac incommunication with the valve means, the sac containing one component ofthe product, generally liquid, to be dispensed, and (c) either a secondflexible sac having ice means placing the interior of the sac incommunication with said valve means, or a dip tube opening into theinterior of the product container, a second component of the productbeing contained in the second flexible sac or the container. Thecomponents are aspirated when the lpropellant is released through thevalve means. The valve means has separate flow paths therethrough forthe propellant and the components of the product, the flow paths havingobturating means therein which are actuated to open and close the flowpaths by the depression and release of a pushbutton. The `arrangementcan be made such that the components of the product are brought intocontact just ahead of the point at which they are aspirated into thestream of propellant, or are not brought into contact until the timethey are actually aspirated into the stream of propellant. All of theparts of the dispenser are constructed so that they can be molded ofplastic material by conventional molding techniques, thus makingpossible the provision of such dispensers at a low cost.

Other features of the invention will be made clear by the followingdescription, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is an axial section of the upper part of a first embodiment ofthe dispenser according to the invention;

FIG. Z is a section taken on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of a second embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of an embodiment similar to IFIG. 2,but having a different stem and nozzle construction;

FIG. 5 is a section taken on line 5 5 of FIG. 4; and

FIIG. 6 is a section taken on line 6 6 of FIG. 4.

The particular embodiment of the dispenser according to the invention asshown in IFIGS. 1 and 2 is designed for spraying a multicomponentproduct in liquid form. This dispenser has an outer container 1 made ofplastic, metal or other material which has a valve means mounted on thetop thereof. The valve means includes a cap 3 mounted on upper edge 4 ofcontainer 1. At its center, the cap 3 has an annular body 5 dependingtherefrom which has held therein a flexible annular gasket 6 just belowa central opening 2in cap 3. The body 5 has an opening 5b extendinggenerally radially thereof which is blocked off from the central opening2 by engagement of gasket 6 .with a depending projection 3a aroundopening 2. Opening `5b opens into the top of container 1. Attached tobody 5, for example, by having the upper edge formed tightly 'around aflange on the lower end of the body '5, is a propellant cartridge 7containing propellant (not shown) under pressure, a great part of whichis in a liquefied state. A truncated cone-shaped first retaining ring 9,held between cartridge 7 and body 5, retains a high pressure annul-argasket 11 provided for obturating the flow of the propellant.

Slidably mounted in a bore along the axis of the valve body 5 is ahollow stern 12' which has an enlarged portion 13 about in the middlethereof which cooperates with gasket 6 to form a rst low pressureobturator for the liquid product to be dispensed. In addition, stem 12has a second enlarged portion 14 at the lower end thereof whichcooperates with gasket 11 to form a high pressure obturator.

An annular chamber 15 is provided in body 5, into which dip tube -16opens, and in which enlarged portion 13 on stem 12 moves up and down.The upper end of stem 12 projects through the opening in cap 3, and hasa plurality of splines 12a therealong. An annular tube 17, which dependsfrom pushbutton 19, i's positioned around the splines 12a to define aplurality 0f outer passages 12e along the stem 12. The annular tube 17terminates short of the enlarged portion 13 to define openings 13a intothe passages 12e. rIhe openings 13a are obturated by the inner edge ofgasket 6. Annular tube 17 has a space 17a at the upper end thereof intowhich the passages 12e between the splines open. Space 17a opens intospace y18a around nozzle 18 housed in pushbutton 19. The hollow center21 of stern 12 conducts propellant to the space 18b at the rear end ofnozzle 1-8 from radial openings 20` just above second enlarged portion14, which openings are normally closed by gasket 11.

Intermediate the hollow center 21 of the stem 12 and the outer passages12e Iand concentrically disposed around the hollow center 21. is aplurality of inner passages 12b separated by webs l12a` extending fromthe outer portion of the 'stem cross section to the inner portionthereof and supporting the inner portion relative to the outer portion.At the upper end of the stem the passages 12b open into the space 17awithin the tube 17, and at the bottom they open out of the stem atopenings 12d within the hollow interior 15 opposite a shoulder 15atherein. A further gasket 22 is held on the shoulder 15a by a secondretaining ring 23 positioned in the hollow interior 15 and held inposition by a retaining projection a. A spring 24 around the stem 12extends between the bottom of the iirst enlarged portion l13 and thesecond retaining ring 23, and urges the stern upwardly. The gasket 22has the inner periphery thereof obturating the openings 12d and servesas a second low pressure obturator.

Opening into the space below the second low pressure obturator a is abore 25 in which is xed a sac adapter 26 to which is secured a liquidtight flexible sac 27 which is placed in and only partly llscontainer 1. Flexible sac 27 is preferably a thin rwalled type and hasgreat flexibility. This sac can be made of one of the followingproducts:

(a) Polyethylene, either extruded, blown directly in its final shape, orobtained by sealing a film or sheath into the proper form, if theproduct is an aqueous or water-alcohol liquid product;

(b) Unplasticized polyinvyl chloride or polyamide, if the product to besprayed is a material in solution in a hydrocarbon or contains fragrantsubstances, since these two materials have good impermeability withrespect to hydrocarbons and odors;

(c) Thin metal aluminum foil, for instance, if the solution containssolvents that are very incompatible with respect to most plasticmaterials, as, for example, halogenated, ketone or benzene solvents;

(d) Compound or laminated materials, e.g. polyethylene-regeneratedcellulose, polyethylene-aluminum, polyethylene-polyesters, etc., forspecial uses, such as when solvents are involved for which no singleplastic material is suitable, or for very good impermeability. The verybroad range of flexible material presently available on the market makesit possible to find satisfactory solutions for a very large number ofproblems.

With the parts in the positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and withpropellant in the cartridge 7, one component of the product to bedispensed in the container 1 and the other component in the sac 27, thepropellant in cartridge 7 is prevented from escaping by the gasket 11which obturates the openings opening into the hollow center 21 of thestem 12, and at the same time is kept separate from the interior of thecontainer l1 by the retaining ring 9 and the seal at the upper and loweredges thereof. The contents ofthe sac 27 are blocked oif from theatmosphere 'by the gasket 22 which obturates the openings 12d openinginto the inner passages 12b. The interior of the container 1 is alsosealed off from the outside atmosphere by the engagement of the enlargedportion 13 with the gasket 6. The gasket 6 also is pressed against theprojection 3a to block the opening 5b. Thus, all of the spaces withinthe dispenser which contain either propellant or product to be dispensedare lsealed off from the atmosphere and each other.

When the pushbutton is depressed, the gasket 11 is flexed downwardly toopen the openings 20, thus allowing propellant gas to escape up to .thehollow center 21 of the stem, through the space 18b and through thenozzle f18. Both the gaskets I6 and 22 are also exed to open theopenings at the bottoms of the passages 12e and 12b, respectively, sothat the interior of the container 1 is in communication with thechamber 18a around the nozzle 18 through the dip tube, the hollowinterior 15, passages 12e and chamber 1761. The interior of the sac 27is in communication with the chamber 18a around the nozzle 18 throughthe adapter 26, the passages '12b and chamber 17a. As the propellant owsthrough the nozzle, it will therefore aspirate -the contents of thecontainer 1 and the sac 27 from the chamber 18a and dispense them in theform of a line spray.

The components of the product to be dispensed are not mixed with eachother until they reach the chamber 17a just ahead or upstream of thenozzle 1'8 from which they are dispensed. Thus, if they are incompatibleif stored together, they can nevertheless be dispensed by the dispensersince they are stored separately, in the container and the sac,respectively, and do not come into contact with each other until justbefore being drawn into the stream of propellant flowing through thenozzle.

The flexing of the gasket 6 also moves it away from the projection 3a,thus opening the opening 5b to allow air yto flow through the opening 2in the cap 3 and through the opening 5b into the dispenser. This notonly compensates for the component which is aspirated from the container1, but also for the component which is aspirated from the sac 27 whichis within the container 1.

It is not necessary that one of the components be contained within thecontainer 1 itself. It is possible to have a plurality of sac's, eachconnected by means of a sac adapter to `the valve means. An embodimentin which two such sacs are provided is shown in lFIG. 3. The dispenseris the same a's that shown in FIGS. l and 2, except that in place of thedip tube, there is provided a second sac adapter 26a.' which opens intothe hollow interior 15 through a second bore 25a and `a vertical groove15b along the wall of the hollow interior 15. A second sac 27a isattached to the second sac adapter 26a for containing a component of theproduct to be dispensed.

The arrangement lends itself to the provision of a third, fourth andeven more sacs. All that is necessary is an additional sac adapter foreach sac which opens into the space beneath a corresponding flexiblegasket which in turn obturates the openings into a correspondingconcentric passageway. Alternatively, the space beneath the gasket 22could be partitioned olf into spaces corresponding in number to thenumber of passages 12b, and each passage 12b used for a separatecomponent.

Further, the rate of flow of the propellant and the components can beeasily controlled by making the sizes of the various openings proper.For example, if it is desired to supply twice as much of the onecomponent as the other, the cross-sectional area of the sac adapter 26can be made one half that of the dip tube 16. Other variations in thesizes of the various openings can, of course, be made.

Moreover, the provision of the chamber 17a makes it possible to mix thecomponents ahead of the time at which they are drawn into the propellantstream. This gives them time to react, where this is necessary ordesirable, before being sprayed.

However, there are a number of products which it would be desirable todispense, but which have components which react very quickly with eachother, but which should not be reacted until immediately before beingsprayed. Such products cannot be properly dispensed by the embodimentsof FIGS. l-3 described above because the components will react betweenthe time they come in contact in the space 17a and the time they reachthe stream of propellant flowing through the nozzle 18. An embodiment ofthe invention for dispensing such quick reacting components is shown inFIGS. 4-6. This embodiment is the same as that shown in FIG. 3 insofaras it has two sacs in the container 1 and has a valving arrangement likethat of FIG. 3. It is diterent in the construction on the upper end ofthe valve stern and the passages within the pushbutton. As shown in thefigures, the portion of the stem above the upper end of the splines 12ahas a somewhat smaller diameter than the corresponding end of the stemin the other embodiments, and the pushbutton 19 has an outer dependingtube 17 and an inner depending tube 31. The outer depending tube iitstightly over the outer surfaces of the splines 12a, and the innerdepending tube 31 fits tightly over the reduced diameter portion 12h atthe upper end of the stern 12. The passages 12e between the splines thusopen into an outer annular space 32 between the outer and inner tubes 17and 31, while the passages 12b open into an inner annular space 33between the inner tube 31 and the center of the stem 12 defining thehollow center 21. The separate components from the two sacs will thus bekept separate after they leave the passages 12e and 12b.

In the pushbutton around the outside of the nozzle 18 are twodiametricaly opposed chambers, a left hand chamber 34 (as viewed fromthe front of the dispenser in FIG. 6) and a right hand chamber 35.Extending upwardly through the pushbutton 19 from the space 32 into theleft hand chamber 34 is a passage 38, here shown as being curved incross-section to match the cross-section of the annular space 32. Alsoextending upwardly through the pushbutton from the space 33 into theright hand chamber 35 is passage 39, also here shown as being curved incross-section to match the cross-section of the annular space 33. Thesepassages can have other cross-sectional shapes, if desired.

By the provision of the separate passages 38 and 39 and the separatechambers 34 and 35 around the outside of the nozzle, the components ofthe product will be kept separate from the time they leave the spaces 32and 33 until they are actually drawn into the constricted portion of thenozzle 18 by the ow of propellant therethrough. They cannot react witheach other until this time.

There has thus been provided an aerosol type dispenser from which amulti-component product can be dispensed, the components of which arestored separately from each other and from the propellant and are notbrought into contact at the earliest until just before being aspiratedinto the stream of propellant, and at the latest until actually beingaspirated into the stream of propellant. The construction of thecontainer and the separate storage means and the valve means isrelatively simple, and because of the provision of the valve stem withthe concentric passages for the propellant and the various componentsand the obturating gaskets positioned one above the other and obturatingthe entrances to the separate passages, the dispenser is adapted to beused for a product having two or more components. All that is necessaryis to add concentric passages for each component and add an additionalobturating gasket, and provide an additional bag adapter and flexiblesac. The construction is also such that all of the parts, the valvestern with the concentric passages, the pushbutton with the separatepassages, and the Valve body with the hollow interior and several boresand openings, can be molded by conventional plastic molding techniques.This makes possible the quick and inexpensive production of thedispenser on a mass production basis.

What is claimed is:

1. An aerosol dispenser for dispensing a multicomponent product,comprising a product container, a cap on said product container, valvemeans depending from said cap into said container and including a valvestem projecting through the cap and movable in the valve means foractuating the valve means, a pushbutton on said valve stem and having anaspirating and dispensing nozzle therein and passages extending fromsaid nozzle to said valve stem, a propellant cartridge on the valvemeans and positioned within said product container, said valve means andvalve stem having a propellant flow path therethrough to said nozzle insaid pushbutton, a dip tube depending product container, said valvemeans and valve stem having a first product component flow paththerethrough from said dip tube at least to said pushbutton and separatefrom said propellant flow path, at least one flexible sac positionedwithin said product container and connected to said valve means, saidvalve means and valve stem having a second product component ow paththerethrough from said ilexible sac at least to said pushbutton andseparate from said rst product component flow path and said propellantflow path, said valve means including obturating means for each flowpath actuated to open the flow paths by depression of said valve stem.

2. An aerosol dispenser as claimed in claim 1 in which said valve stemhas a hollow center serving as the propellant ow path and a plurality ofgrooves on the outer surfaces thereof and a concentric passage betweensaid grooves and said hollow center, the pushbutton having a dependingtube around said stem and closing the grooves to define one of theproduct ow paths said concentric passage being the o'ther product flowpath.

3. An aerosol dispenser as claimed in claim 1 in which said pushbuttonhas a space therein into which said product ow paths open, and has achamber around the nozzle and a passage between said space and saidchamber, whereby the components of the product are mixed in said space.

4. An aerosol dispenser as claimed in claim 1 in 'which said pushbuttonhas separate passages therethrough and separate chambers around saidnozzle with said separate passages opening into different chambers,whereby the components of the product are not mixed until they areaspirated into said nozzle.

5. An aerosol dispenser as claimed in claim 1 inwhich said valve stemhas a hollow center having lateral openings at the lower end thereof andsaid obturating means for said propellant flow path is a rst flexiblegasket in the lower end of said valve means engaged around said valvestern over said openings and flexed away from said openings to open saidopenings to the interior of said propellant cartridge when said valvestem is depressed, said valve stern further having a plurality ofgrooves on the outersurface thereof and said pushbutton having adepending tube around said stem and terminating short of the lower endsof said grooves to define lateral openings at the lower ends of saidgrooves, and said obturating means for said grooves is a second flexiblegasket in the upper end of said valve means engaged around said valvestem over said openings and flexed away from said openings to open saidopenings to the interior of said valve means when said valve stem isdepressed, and said valve stem further having a concentric passagebetween said grooves and said hollow center having lateral openingsopening out of said stem between the openings of said grooves and theopenings of said hollow center, and said obturating means for saidpassage is a third exible gasket in said valve means engaged around saidvalve stem over said openings and exed away from said openings to opensaid openings to the interior of said valve means when said valve stemis depressed, said dip tube opening into the interior of said valvemeans between two of the adjacent gaskets, and the valve means having anopening from said flexible sac and opening into the interior of saidvalve means between the other two of the adjacent gaskets.

6. An aerosol dispenser as claimed in claim 1 further having aperturemeans for admitting air to said product container when said pushbuttonis depressed.

7. An aerosol dispenser as claimed in claim 6 in which said aperturemeans for admitting air to said product container comprises a valvemeans portion having an opening therethrough between the opening in saidcap through which said valve stem extends and the interior of saidproduct container, said valve means portion opening being obturated byone of the obturating means for a prod-` uct flow path.

8. An aerosol dispenser for dispensing a multicomponent product,comprising a product container, a cap on said product container, valvemeans depending from said cap into said container and including a valvestern projecting through the cap and movable in the valve means foractuating the valve means, a pushbutton on said valve stem and having anaspirating and dispensing nozzle therein and passages extending fromsaid nozzle to said valve stem, a propellant cartridge on the valvemeans and positioned within said product container, said valve means andvalve stem having a propellant flow path therethrough to said nozle insaid pushbutton, a rst flexible sac positioned within said productcontainer and connected to said valve means, said valve means and valvestem having a first product component ow path therethrough from saidfirst flexible sac at least to said pushbutton and separate from saidpropellant flow path, at least one furt ther exible sac positionedwithin said product container and connected to said valve means, saidvalve means and said valve stem having a second product component flowpath therethrough from said further ilexible sac at least to saidpushbutton and separate from said first product component ilo-w path andsaid propellant flow path, said valve means including obturating meansfor each flow path actuated to open the flow paths by depression of saidvalve s'tem,

9. An aerosol dispenser as claimed in claim 8 in which said valve stemhas a hollow center serving as the propellant flow path and a pluralityof grooves on the outer surface thereof and a concentric passage betweensaid grooves and said hollow center, the pushbutton having a dependingtube around said stern and closing the grooves to detine one of theproduct flow paths, said concentric passage being the other product owpath.

10. An aerosol dispenser as claimed in claim 8 in which said pushbuttonhas a space therein into which said product flow paths open, and has achamber around the nozzle and a passage between said space and saidchamber, whereby the components of the product are mixed in said space.

11. An aerosol dispenser as claimed in claim 8 in which said pushbuttonhas separate passages therethrough and has separate chambers around saidnozzle with said separate passages opening into different chambers,whereby the components of the product are not mixed until they areaspirated into said nozzle.

12. An aerosol dispenser as claimed in claim 8 in Iwhich said valvestern has a hollow center having lateral openings at 'the lower endthereof and said obturating means for said propellant ow path is a rstflexible gasket in the lower end ofsaid valve means engaged around saidvalve stern over said openings and ilexed away from said openings toopen said openings to the interior of said propellant cartridge whensaid 'valve stem is depressed, said valve stem further having aplurality of grooves on the outer surface thereof and said pushbuttonhaving a depending tube around said stem and terminating short of thelower ends of said grooves to dene lateral openings at the lower ends ofsaid grooves, and said obturating means for said grooves is a secondflexible gasket in the upper end ot said valve means engaged around saidvalve stem over said openings and ilexed away from said openings to opensaid openings to the interior of said lvalve means when said valve sternis depressed, and said valve stem further having a concentric passagebetween said grooves and said hollow center having lateral openingsopening out of said stem between the openings of said grooves and theopenings of said hollow center, and said obturating means for saidpassage is a third exible gasket in said valve means engaged around saidvalve stem over said openings and ilexed away from said openings to opensaid openings to the interior of said valve means when said valve stemis depressed, said first flexible sac opening into the interior of saidvalve means between two of the adjacent gaskets, and the valve meanshaving an opening from said further flexible sac and opening into theinterior of said valve means between the other two of the adjacentgaskets.

13. An aerosol dispenser as claimed in claim 8 further having aperturemeans for admitting air to said product container when said pushbuttonis depressed.

14. An aerosol dispenser as claimed in claim 13 in which said aperturemeans for admitting air to said product container comprises a valvemeans portion having an opening therethrough between the opening in saidcap through which said valve stem extends and the interior of saidproduct container, said valve means portion opening being obturated byone of the obturating means for a product flow path.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,506,158 4/1970 Duda Z22-1933,465,918 9/1969 Webster 222-136 3,289,949 12/1966 Roth 239-308 ROBERTB. REEVES, Primary Examiner J. M. SLATTERY, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl.X.R. Z22-402.18

